Experimental and computational verifications of the dose calculation accuracy of PHITS for high-energy photon beam therapy

Kuga, Naoya*; Shiiba, Takuro*; Sato, Tatsuhiko   ; Hashimoto, Shintaro  ; Kuroiwa, Yasuyoshi*

This study aims to verify the accuracy of PHITS in terms of photon and electron transport and provide essential data for its application in clinical dosimetry in high-energy photon beam therapy. Percentage depth dose (PDD), beam profiles, and output factor (OPF) in a water phantom with various field sizes created by a Clinac 21EX linear accelerator were measured using an ionization chamber. Experimental setups were precisely reproduced by PHITS version 3.24, and the percentage differences (%Diff) between the measured and calculated data were evaluated. The average %Diff of PDDs obtained from PHITS and measurement were within 10% and 2% in the build-up and fall-off regions, respectively. For beam profiles, the average %Diff in the plateau region was within 3%; the differences between the calculated and measured distances from the central axis to 50% dose level were within 2 mm. These differences were lower than their tolerance levels. The consistency between the PHITS and EGSnrc was better; their %Diff was within 1% in most cases. The concurrence between the PHITS and measurement shown in this study demonstrates the potential clinical application of PHITS in high-energy photon beam therapy, given its similar dose calculation accuracy compared with EGSnrc.